Recap/Review – Private Practice – “The Time Has Come” – 2/2/12

Jake and Addison leave Seaside to attend a medical conference. Sheldon helps a couple with their marriage while Erica’s illness becomes harder to hide when she endangers Mason’s life.

Recap:

Hot Scott shows up at Violet’s house with two important things: coffee and the Real Estate section of the newspaper. Violet, you have to move. And just as they share a kiss, Pete walks in with Lucas; he’s unhappy with Scott’s presence, especially in front of Lucas.

Jump with me to read more.

Sheldon has new clients – friends of Sam’s – a couple, Rick and Kelly. Rick has just finished his tour in the military, and they’re having a hard time connecting. She says he’s distant, and she’s tried giving him space. He’s just not interested in her anymore. Couples therapy is their last chance.

Pete and Charlotte are discussing his future schedule when a woman is rushed into the ER. It’s Erica; she was in a car accident. Mason was in the car, but is fine. He says mom fell asleep at the wheel.

Sam stops to check on Rick at home and finds him in the backyard, next to a bunch of empty beer bottles and an empty pill bottle. Sam got to him just in time. Rick wakes in the hospital and fights to leave. He’s been placed under a mandatory psych hold.

Kelly is on her way, but Rick doesn’t want to see her. He says the war isn’t what he expected. But he isn’t talking about the fighting or death. His Sergeant raped him. He goes on to describe the attack to Sheldon; he froze and didn’t fight him off.

Back at Seaside, Pete chastises Violet for her promiscuous behavior in front of their son. (Coming from the man who had a one night stand with a random woman in an elevator…) After he leaves, Cooper and Violet gossip about her new boy-toy. Cooper is extremely supportive: “Now Lucas has someone to share his toys with.”

Over lunch, midway through their road trip, Addison confesses to Jake that she tries (and fails) to get fat after a bad breakup, as she scarfs down a huge cheeseburger. Jake is sympathetic. However, I am not; I just gained five pounds watching her eat the burger!

Sheldon asks Violet for advice on his current case. Violet tells him to treat it the same way he would if Rick were a female victim. Sheldon, however, thinks his gender makes this case completely different. A man, especially one that’s trained to fight, would be questioned about his masculinity, unlike a female, who would be viewed as just trying to survive.

Now that everyone at Seaside knows of Erica’s condition, Cooper, Sam, and Pete discuss whether to tell Mason. Is he too young? Should they prepare him for the loss of his mother? While they ponder over it, Amelia comes back with Erica’s test results. Her tumor is still growing, and in the few months that she has left, her condition will worsen; she could become paralyzed.

Back at the hospital, Erica lies and blames the car accident on an oncoming car. Cooper, furious, demands that she stop driving Mason.

Kelly, now at the hospital, talks to Sheldon and Sam. She blames herself for his suicide attempt. They can only tell her that it wasn’t her fault.

Pete complains to Sam about Hot Scott (though I doubt he uses the same pet name). Noticing that he’s clearly bothered by it, Sam calls him on his hypocrisy. But Pete’s one night stand is FAR above Violet’s relationship, especially because it’s in front of their child.

Addison avoids socializing at the medical conference and drinks alone. Jake tries to give her some company, but she just needs to get over Sam and get drunk.

Sheldon advises Rick to tell Kelly what happened in Iraq, but Rick is hesitant. Sheldon doesn’t pressure him, but says that he can’t just bury what happened. The only way to improve their marriage is to come clean.

Drunken Addie propositions Jake in his hotel room. And after the commercial break, Addie is on his bed, very upset; he rejected her multiple times. And in the best line of the show, she asks,“ Is it because you saw my vagina in a medical way?” Um…

Cooper, still reeling from the news of the car accident, seeks Violet’s seal of approval for his behavior. She tells him his anger is a part of his grief in preparing to lose Erica.

Sheldon sits nearby as Rick tries to tell Kelly what happened. At first, Kelly is confused. She thinks this is his way of coming out. Rick assures her he isn’t gay. But then she can’t understand why he didn’t stop it.

Addison wakes up in Jake’s bed. She apologizes profusely for her behavior. She’s embarrassed; they’re colleagues. Jake disagrees; they’re more than that. Aww.

Hot Scott runs into Pete at the hospital, simply says “Hey,” and gets an earful from Pete. After he threatens and throws Scott against the wall, Pete walks away. You can’t have it both ways, Pete!

Cooper brings Mason to see Erica. Right after she tells him everything’s going to be all right, Erica has a seizure.

Kelly tells Sam the man she married is gone. She doesn’t understand how he let it happen. Sam tells her to try and put herself in Rick’s place. How would she feel if she were blamed for the attack? Rick is a survivor.

On their car ride back from the conference, Jake confesses to Addison that he felt dumped when she decided not to go to Fiji with him.

Pete demands that Violet stop seeing Scott. Up until now, Violet has appeased Pete, but this was the last straw. How dare he?! You go, girl!

After talking to Sam, Kelly decides to come back to Rick.

Erica decides to fight her illness, for Mason.

Violet calls Scott over to her empty house, while she’s still feeling rebellious. His shirt comes off, and I pass out.

Ending this episode, Sam bails his sister out of jail. Guess we’ll have to meet her next week!

Review:

Rick and Kelly’s story had me in tears. Male rape is grossly underreported. I liked that Kelly wasn’t immediately sympathetic, because it allowed for Sam to explain why it’s no different than a female victim.

To lighten the serious nature of the episode, drunken Addison really made me laugh out loud. I think I’ll like them as a couple.

I also loved seeing Cooper and Violet as BFFs again. Their talk about Scott reminded me of the first season when they were inseperable. More, please!